WSSU's Hicks and NCCU's Ross selected for Cactus Bowl

WSSU's Hicks and NCCU's Ross selected for Cactus Bowl

December 5, 2005

North Carolina Central University senior wide receiver Torey Ross and Winston-Salem State University senior running back Martin Hicks are among the 42 players that have been named to the East All-Star squad for the 13th annual Whataburger Cactus Bowl game on Friday, Jan. 6, 2006, in Texas A&M-Kingsville's Javelina Stadium.

The contest will feature the top NCAA Division II football players in the nation. The athletes will be in Kingsville for a week-long schedule of events, building to the Friday night game which will be televised by FOXSports Southwest and covered by the FOXSports Network nationally for the sixth consecutive year. The broadcast will begin at 6 p.m. and the kickoff is set for 6:35 p.m. The players in the game will report on Saturday, Dec. 31.

The NCAA Division II All-Star game was held in Javelina Stadium for the fifth time last winter. It had been held in Fargo, N.D., prior to moving to Kingsville in 2001.

Ross, a native of Jackson, Miss. who transferred from Jackson State University, completed his two-year NCCU career with 122 receptions for 1,485 yards and 19 touchdowns after leading the conference in catches both seasons. His 69 receptions this year is a new single-season school record. Including his two years at Jackson State, Ross amassed 209 catches for 2,697 yards and 28 touchdowns during his college career.

Hicks, a native of Oxford, NC was second in the CIAA in rushing yardage in 2005 after leading the conference in rushing in 2003 and 2004. Hicks nearly broke the 1,000 yard mark for the third straight season in 2005 and led the league in scoring en route to 2005 CIAA Offensive Player of the Year honors. He is a legitimate NFL prospect and ranks among the all-time WSSU records in rushing in five statistical categories.

The Shriners Hospitals for Children has been named as the designated charity for the Cactus Bowl. Proceeds from the game go to the Shriners' 22 children's hospitals throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada. The Shriners, a nonprofit charitable organization, finance the 19 orthopedic and burn hospitals, which operate at a cost of $1.54 million a day. Any child 18 years old and under is treated at no charge, and the organization also provides transportation and housing of parents during the child's treatment.